Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Biology · 4BI1 · Free · no account needed
The Human Reproductive Systems — exam questions
10 original Incandio exam-style questions on the Human Reproductive Systems, 21 marks, about 21 minutes of writing. Each one carries the command word, the tariff and the specification statement it assesses, exactly as a paper presents them. This is an original Incandio practice question, written to reflect the structure and demands of the qualification. It is not an official Pearson Edexcel past-paper question.
This is the practice set for The Human Reproductive Systems — the lesson that teaches it. Read the lesson first if the idea is new; come here when you want to find out whether you can turn it into marks. Completely free, no account needed to read.
What these questions ask of you
7 command words run through this set, and on Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Biology each one means something precise. Answering the wrong command is the commonest way a candidate who understands the lesson still loses the mark.
- Which (1 mark)
- one option chosen from the set given
- Name (1–2 marks)
- the correct term, spelled recognisably
- State (1 mark)
- one precise fact, no justification
- Explain (2–4 marks)
- a causal chain — WHY it happens, each link a separate marking point Misread as: describing what happens without giving the reason it happens
- Describe (2–4 marks)
- developed, linked statements of WHAT happens — no reason required, but detail is Misread as: giving one bare statement where the tariff asked for a developed account
- Suggest (1–3 marks)
- a plausible answer applying taught biology to a situation not taught
- Calculate (1–3 marks)
- a numerical answer, with working where the tariff implies steps
Assessed on Paper 1 (4BI1/1B) and Paper 2 (4BI1/2B), against AO1, AO2, AO3.
Where these sit in the specification
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1) — statements 3.8 · 3.13. Incandio is aligned to this specification; it is not published by, endorsed by or affiliated with Pearson, and it reproduces none of Pearson's wording.
The 10 questions
Answer them on paper, then open the lesson's exam practice to have them marked. The mark scheme, the accepted and rejected answers and the annotated model answer are in Incandio and are not printed here — an answer beside its question is not practice.
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Table 1 — features of the two human gametes. Feature Sperm cell Egg cell Approximate diameter of the cell body 0.003 mm 0.12 mm Number released at a time about 200 000 000 1 Mitochondria many, packed behind the head many, throughout the cytoplasm Food store in the cytoplasm almost none large Able to swim yes no (a)
(2)Calculate
Calculate how many times wider the egg cell is than the sperm cell body, using Table 1.
Table 1 — features of the two human gametes. Feature Sperm cell Egg cell Approximate diameter of the cell body 0.003 mm 0.12 mm Number released at a time about 200 000 000 1 Mitochondria many, packed behind the head many, throughout the cytoplasm Food store in the cytoplasm almost none large Able to swim yes no (b)
(3)Explain
Explain the difference in food store between the two gametes shown in Table 1.
Table 1 — features of the two human gametes. Feature Sperm cell Egg cell Approximate diameter of the cell body 0.003 mm 0.12 mm Number released at a time about 200 000 000 1 Mitochondria many, packed behind the head many, throughout the cytoplasm Food store in the cytoplasm almost none large Able to swim yes no (c)
(1)Suggest
Suggest why a sperm cell has many mitochondria packed immediately behind its head.
Table 1 — features of the two human gametes. Feature Sperm cell Egg cell Approximate diameter of the cell body 0.003 mm 0.12 mm Number released at a time about 200 000 000 1 Mitochondria many, packed behind the head many, throughout the cytoplasm Food store in the cytoplasm almost none large Able to swim yes no (Total for Question 1 = 6 marks)
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(1)Which
Which structure is where fertilisation normally takes place?
Structure A the ovary B the oviduct C the uterus D the cervix (Total for Question 2 = 1 mark)
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(1)Name
Name the hormone responsible for the development of male secondary sexual characteristics.
(Total for Question 3 = 1 mark)
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(1)State
State the function of the oviduct.
(Total for Question 4 = 1 mark)
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(3)Explain
Explain how the lining of the uterus is adapted for its role after fertilisation.
(Total for Question 5 = 3 marks)
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(2)Describe
Describe the changes brought about by oestrogen at puberty.
(Total for Question 6 = 2 marks)
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(3)Suggest
In some women the cilia lining the oviducts are damaged by infection. Suggest why this makes pregnancy less likely.
(Total for Question 7 = 3 marks)
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(4)Explain
Explain how a sperm cell and an egg cell are each adapted to their part in fertilisation.
(Total for Question 8 = 4 marks)
Have them marked, then defend the answer
Practice tells you the mark; teaching it back tells you whether you understand it. On Incandio a topic counts as mastered only once you have taught it and defended it.
- Mark these questions — 10 questions, marked on Incandio against the authored scheme, with the mistake you actually made named.
- Teach it — explain the Human Reproductive Systems to Ember, an AI pupil who does not have it yet and asks the awkward question.
- Defend it — argue it against William Harvey over three rounds, marked against descriptors you can read first.
Completely free. No subscriptions, no paywalls, no account needed to start.
Back to the lesson
- The Human Reproductive Systems — Two systems built around the same problem — making gametes and bringing them together — and the hormones that switch them on.
- All of Incandio Biology · Incandio Exam Practice